“More than a year.”

“Pete, how awful for her!”

“There is nothing to prevent her going with me.”

“You couldn’t take that child to China.”

“You may be glad to know that she is cordially of your opinion.”

The feeling behind his tone at last attracted his mother’s full attention.

“But, my dear boy,” she said gently, “she has never been anywhere in her life without a maid.  She probably doesn’t know how to do her hair or mend her clothes or anything practical.”

“Mother dear, you are not so awfully practical yourself,” he answered; “but you would have gone.”

Mrs. Wayne looked impish.

“I always loved that sort of thing,” she said; and then, becoming more maternal, she added, “and that doesn’t mean it would be sensible because I’d do it.”

“Well,”—­Wayne stood up preparatory to leaving the room,—­“I mean to take her if she’ll go.”

His mother, who had now finished winding her braid very neatly around her head, sank into a chair.

“Oh, dear!” she said, “I almost wish I weren’t dining with Mr. Lanley.  He’ll think it’s all my fault.”

“I doubt if he knows about it.”

Mrs. Wayne’s eyes twinkled.

“May I tell him?  I should like to see his face.”

“Tell him I am going, if you like.  Don’t say I want to take her with me.”

Her face fell.

“That wouldn’t be much fun,” she answered, “because I suppose the truth is they won’t be sorry to have you out of the way.”

“I suppose not,” he said, and shut the door behind him.  He could not truthfully say that his mother had been much of a comfort.  He had suddenly thought that he would go down to the first floor and get Lily Parret to go to the theater with him.  He and she had the warm friendship for each other of two handsome, healthy young people of opposite sexes who might have everything to give each other except time.  She was perhaps ten years older than he, extremely handsome, with dimples and dark red hair and blue eyes.  She had a large practice among the poor, and might have made a conspicuous success of her profession if it had not been for her intense and too widely diffused interest.  She wanted to strike a blow at every abuse that came to her attention, and as, in the course of her work, a great many turned up, she was always striking blows and never following them up.  She went through life in a series of springs, each one in a different direction; but the motion of her attack was as splendid as that of a tiger.  Often she was successful, and always she enjoyed herself.

When she answered Pete’s ring, and he looked up at her magnificent height, her dimples appeared in welcome.  She really was glad to see him.

“Come out and dine with me, Lily, and go to the theater.”

“Come to a meeting at Cooper Union on capital punishment.  I’m going to speak, and I’m going to be very good.”